Novelis is advancing beverage can coating testing and research resulting from its long-standing relationship with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Researchers from Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, working in collaboration with Novelis, have developed advanced testing capabilities that significantly reduce the time required to evaluate how beverages interact with protective coatings inside aluminum cans. The new approach allows researchers to collect data throughout the testing process, providing a clearer picture of how coatings perform while reducing testing cycles from months to just weeks. For beverage makers, faster testing could mean faster decisions about packaging and ultimately help shorten the time it takes to bring new products...
Hindalco Industries is pursuing a major capacity expansion programme, with around INR 500 billion (USD 5.3 million) worth of projects under execution in India and another INR 500 billion (USD 5.3 million) of potential investments under evaluation over the next five years. The planned investments cover aluminium, alumina and copper production, downstream operations and captive mining, as the company prepares for rising domestic demand. India's aluminium demand is expected to grow by around 7 per cent annually over the next five years, according to Hindalco management. While the electrical sector remains a key driver, demand from automobiles, packaging, consumer electronics, home appliances and data centres is also gaining importance. Hindalco is looking to increase the share of...
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The US dollar rose for the third consecutive trading day and jumped to the highest since March 11, at 97.3 last night. Base metals ended mixed. LME aluminium gained while SHFE aluminium went down slightly. LME aluminium closed Thursday's trading lower at US$ 1896.50 per tonne and rebounded and ended 0.11% higher overnight after it fell below support from the 40- and 60- day moving averages, to a low of US$1,896 per tonne. The contract is likely to trade at US$1,870-1,930 per tonne today. As on March 28, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1895.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1896.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1911.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1912 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 2040 per tonne, and Dec 20 offer...
Aluminium Corporation of China Limited’s (Chalco) 2018 annual aluminium production has reportedly recorded a growth of 16 per cent to come in at 4.17 million tonnes. The news came after the state-run company formally announced in a presentation to analysts reviewed by Reuters on March 29. After taking over Yunnan Aluminium last year, Chalco’s unlisted parent company Chinalco’s group capacity increased to 5 million tonnes and above. The jump was enough for Chalco to overtake Russia’s Rusal as the world’s second-biggest publicly traded producer of the metal. Rusal produced 3.753 million tonnes in 2018. Before this, Beijing-based Chalco could beat Rusal’s aluminium production in 2012, when both the firms had produced more than 4 million tonnes, according to a review of company filings. Later...
A00 aluminium ingot price once again sees a drop today, March 29, 2019. The price dropped from RMB13940 per tonne to RMB13920 per tonne, representing a drop of RMB20 per tonne from yesterday. The price is expected to hover between RMB13900-13940 per tonne, with spot premium to settle at RMB250-290 per tonne. In the East (Hangzhou), the aluminium ingot price dropped from RMB13960 to RMB13940 per tonne on Friday, 29 March 2019, and expected to move within a range of RMB13930-13950 per tonne. Ingot price in the East (Wuxi) showed restraint at RMB13930 per tonne. Aluminium ingot price in the South declined RMB20 per tonne to stand at RMB13920 per tonne, while that in the North increased RMB50 per tonne to stand at RMB13960 per tonne. Their average price is expected to range between...
Metro Mining Ltd’s Managing Director Simon Finnis will talk expansion plans of Bauxite Hills Mine project with investors at the Proactive CEO Sessions in Sydney on Monday, April 8 and Melbourne on Tuesday, April 9. Simon Finnis will discuss how Metro Mining is transitioning to owner operator status at the project, Proactive Investors reported. Metro Mining targets 3.5 wet metric tonnes (wmt) of production in 2019. The company expects to recommence the production at the site as soon as wet season ends. The mining operations had ceased in late December 2018. “The inclement weather hasn’t dampened the performance of our site maintenance and operations team, and I congratulate them and the support teams working in Cairns and Brisbane for their efforts. Everything is on track to achieve our...
Bang & Olufsen is reportedly teaming up with premium luggage maker RIMOWA for introducing a limited-edition version of the Beoplay H9i headphones. Having a mutual appreciation for aluminium, the two reputable brands together have decided to craft the limited-edition of the headphones with anodized aluminium and box them in a signature RIMOWA aluminium case. Addition of genuine leather will be an added twist to the product. Besides, the collaborative Beoplay H9i headphones will feature active noise cancellation and an innovative touch interface. On the occasion of this collaboration, John Mollanger, Executive Vice President, President Brand and Markets at Bang & Olufsen, said: “The first materialization of our collaboration, the RIMOWA edition of our flagship Beoplay H9i headphones and...
According to the latest data showed by International Aluminium Institute (IAI), world primary aluminium production stood at 4.92 million tonnes in February 2019, down 9.07 per cent from January production of 5.4 million tonnes, but up 0.26 per cent from February 2018 production of 4.9 million tonnes. China’s estimated primary aluminium production came in at 2.78 million tonnes in February, data showed on Wednesday, March 20. In Asia ex-China, total aluminium production registered 343,000 tonnes last month. This was up 1.48 per cent from 338,000 tonnes in February 2018. In the Middle East, the production dropped 1.93 per cent year-on-year to 406,000 tonnes in February 2019. Total primary aluminium production was ta 414,000 tonnes last year. Europe primary aluminium production totalled at...
Startup venture Kimbo has launched a Tacoma-sized, riveted-aluminium mini-lodge. Kimbo’s adventure truck camper comes with brushed fabric walls, bare aluminium and a teak-floor entry. Kimbo was set up by Mark King, an inventor and entrepreneur who wanted to design a mobile home for the outdoors. The Kimbo team rolled out its first built-to-order campers last year. Kimbo's camper is an alternative style of live-in pickup topper made of lightweight aluminium and it is simple, cosy and comfortable. The 6 series camper tops midsize pickup trucks like the Toyota Tacoma. The riveted brushed-aluminium shell features a striking frameless, faceted design. The chassis is designed keeping in mind two purposes; the first is giving a seamless artistic look and second is keeping the base weight below...
The trade data from the last years shows that despite U.S. tariffs on aluminium import and AD and CVD on foils and alloyed sheets, China’s exports of aluminium products grew throughout the year, with outbound flows on track to set a new record this year. U.S. trade measures have not been able to solve what the rest of the world regards as the core problem facing the aluminium sector. China’s exports of aluminium in all forms grew by 21 per cent to 5.8 million tonnes from January to December 2018. This is the preliminary figure released by China’s customs department on the export of primary metal, aluminium alloy and semi-finished products. Out of that about 5.2 million tonnes were aluminium semi-finished products. China’s exports of aluminium sheets, plates and strips, one of the highly...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, 6063 aluminium billet inventories across five major consumption areas in China has a dropped today, on March 28, marking a third week of decline. Upcoming value-added tax cuts drove downstream consumers to purchase aluminium billets, which in turn resulted in lowered inventories. As of today, the inventories are found at 120,600 tonnes, after they dropped 17,000 tonnes from a week ago, showed the SMM data. Last week, on March 21, aluminium billet stocks had dropped 6,900 tonnes week-on-week and pegged at 137,000 tonnes. This concludes that today the billet stocks have registered a greater week-on-week decline compared with that on March 21. The above chart indicates that in n Foshan, Guangdong, the stocks have dropped 7,700 tonnes over the week to...
The US dollar index rose on Wednesday to a new high of 96.98 since March 13, while emerging-market currencies declined. LME base metals traded mixed on Wednesday. LME aluminium rose 0.05% while SHFE aluminium gained 0.48%. The three-month LME aluminium rose to an intraday high of US$1,919.5 per tonne on Wednesday before it pared some gains to end marginally higher at US$1,903 per tonne. The market appeared to have been minimally affected by the Norsk Hydro’s announcement that it reached an agreement with Brazil’s federal prosecutor for a complete restart at Alunorte. LME aluminium is expected to trade at US$1,870-1,920 per tonne today. As on March 27, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1898 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1898.50 per tonne; 3-months bid...
After three consecutive drops, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a growth of RMB 40 per tonne to RMB 13,940 per tonne, Shanghai Metals Market found. This is the first rise of aluminium ingot this week, after which the price has rebounded to what it was a week ago, on March 20. As the first quarter of the calendar year 2019 is approaching an end, it can be concluded that the A00 aluminium ingot price has shown an overall growing trend. There had been intermittent drops in price; but nonetheless, it grew up to RMB 14,020 per tonne on March 22, the highest in the quarter. Also, compared with the same period last year, the ingot price as on today is higher by RMB 280 per tonne from RMB 13,660 on March 28, 2018. The A00 aluminium ingot average price today is expected to range between...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) has started 25 per cent of Line 6 pots on Tuesday March 26, 2019. The company has safely started 106 pots out of 424 pots in Line 6 smelter, and expects to reach 50 per cent by the end of next month. Alba, soon to be the largest aluminium smelter in the world, had announced the successful testing and operation of 40 pots in February 2019. The Chairman of Alba’s Board of Directors, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa, said: “We are pleased to have safely started 106 pots which equates to 25% of Line 6 capacity. Our next milestone is to reach 50% by the end of April and we expect full completion of Line 6 in early Q3 2019.” “I would like to thank all of our employees and contractors for taking Extreme Ownership on Safety during the Line 6 start-up.”
Norsk Hydro reported that Extruded Solutions business is producing at an overall production rate of 70-80% as of Tuesday, while operations in Building Systems business unit remain almost at a standstill. The division was running at 60% capacity on Monday. “Extruded Solutions is producing at an overall production rate of 70-80 % in the three business units Extrusion Europe, Extrusion North America and Precision Tubing, Hydro said. “Based on current progress the expectation is for Building Systems to gradually ramp up production and shipments during the week.” In an update on Hydro’s site yesterday, on a preliminary basis, the company estimates the financial impact for the first full week after the cyber-attack would be between NOK 300 million and 350 million ($40 million). "Hydro has a...
The Queensland Parliament has reaffirmed a royalty decision on bauxite in the parliament. But the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has raised concerns over thelegislation to amend the royalty rates on bauxite exports. The Parliament maintained the existing minimum royalty rate on bauxite for export at A$2 per tonne and a minimum rate of A$1.50 per tonne for bauxite used domestically for alumina production. Expressing their concern, QRC CEO Ian Macfarlane said on Wednesday that the Queensland government should have consulted with the industry before introducing the legislation to state Parliament. “There is no suggestion the industry has not honoured its royalty obligations,” Macfarlane said. He said that it is “extremely concerning” that the government failed to explain the purpose of...
According to a recent update from Shanghai Metals Market, China, on March 26, announced its plan to cut subsidies for new energy vehicles (NEVs), in a bid to encourage innovation and promote high-quality development of NEVs. The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Ministry of Science and Technology, and Development and Reform Commission jointly released a document that says the national subsidy for pure electric passenger cars with a driving range of 400 kilometres and above will be reduced to RMB 25,000 per unit. NEVs with a range below 250 kilometres, on the other hand, will not get any subsidy, according to the document. MIIT also updated on its website that around seventy-two models of NEVs are removed from the catalogue of cars exempt from...
Montenegrin based company Uniprom has announced its plan to invest around €26-million for upgrading the KAP aluminium smelter. The company's owner Veselin Pejović said this during his recent visit to KAP facilities. Uniprom KAP or Aluminium Plant Podgorica is an aluminium smelter located on the southern outskirts of Montenegro. Uniprom plans to open a 30,000 tpy production unit for silumin alloys investing €11-million. €15-million is planned to be invested in the construction of an aluminium billets production unit with a production capacity of 70,000 tpy, which will start operation by the end of 2019. "The two factories will have a combined output of 100,000 tonnes, which means that in 2020 we should have exports of circa $300-million (€266-million)," Pejović said. Montenegrin Prime...
CMS Window Systems, a designer, installer and manufacturer of PVCu, aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling systems, has secured private equity investment from Maven Capital Partners, a private equity firm. The funding will be used to expand CMS’ product range and production capacity to serve a growing commercial, public sector and housing client base across Scotland, and increasingly UK-wide. “CMS Window Systems has taken another significant step on its growth path by securing private equity investment from Maven Capital Partners, who have acquired a majority share of the business,” CMS Window Systems said. David Ritchie, CEO of CMS Window Systems said: “Partnering with Maven Capital Partners marks the beginning of an exciting new era for CMS and its employees and will enable us to...
China Customs data estimates aluminium extrusion, bar, and rod (under five HS codes) exports by China likely to rebound in March after a sharp drop last month. In February, China’s exports of aluminium extrusion, bar, and rod had reduced to 42,500 tonnes, down 63.81 per cent from the previous month and 25.6 per cent from the same period last year. Shanghai Metals Market believed stronger yuan, holidays, and tariffs concerns were some of the factors that led to the decline in exports. According to SMM, Chinese New Year breaks also took a toll on exports for February, as productions at most aluminium extrusion manufacturers were closed until the middle of the last month. Some producers even did not recover until the end of February. As a result, operating rates lowered, which could also be...
